Ospreys Lose First A-Sun Match in Overtime

Box Score

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – In a match where the University of North Florida women’s soccer team  beat the opposition in shots, corner kicks and shots on goal, the Ospreys were unable pull out the win, losing to East Tennessee State 1-0 in double overtime in the Ospreys’ first Atlantic Sun Conference contest.

UNF (3-6-1, 0-1 A-Sun) put up 17 shots on the afternoon to ETSU’s (2-7-0, 1-0 A-Sun) eight. Seniors Lauren Maze and Kristin Rhodes both put up two shots on goal, but could not find the open net.

The Ospreys and Buccaneers battled even in regulation, playing 90 minutes without a score. In overtime, ETSU took just one shot, but it proved to be their golden goal in the 108th minute of the match, after a crossing pass from Monty Jordan to Terri Miller.

“This was a heartbreaker for us,” said head coach Linda Hamilton. “The box score told the story today, these girls played tough. But now we have to regroup, let this loss go and get ready for Sunday so we can come away with a split for the weekend.”   

UNF led the Bucs in corner kicks (11-3) and created multiple opportunities on offense. Starting off the second half with a pair of corners kicks, sophomore Vladana Petricevic almost had her second assist of the season laying up the ball to senior midfielder Kristin Rhodes for a header, but good positioning by the ETSU defense stifled UNF’s attempt.

Strong defensive play by the Buc’s goalkeeper, Megan Masch, and her seven saves on the day allowed the Bucs to hold off any late game heroics by the Ospreys’ seven shots in overtime.

UNF will look to bounce back to split the weekend with a win against an 0-9 USC Upstate at 2 p.m. in Spartanburg S.C.